Still Here
by follow you into the night
Summary: Sometimes the pain of losing somebody so close is so unreal, you begin to believe that everything around you is unreal as well.  Ino refused to accept that Shikamaru had left her, and perhaps she is right... TwoShot InoShika
1. Chapter 1

_**This is a two shot, and sadly this is only my second story. **_

_**I know it is really short, but I am going to try to write longer stories later. **_

**_I hope you enjoy it and please review, especially if you have any tips! ;D_**

"Shika…"

Pain radiated throughout me as I stared at the open door. The rain poured down on me but nothing could make me move from here. He was here; he had to be here.

Lies.

Everything I had ever been told were lies: meeting him, being put onto the same genin team, forgetting Sasuke before he even left, falling in love with Konoha's laziest ninja, everything. If Shikamaru wasn't here anymore then nothing could possibly still exist. Yet the truth was all around me.

My cell phone buzzed again, letting me know that our friends were real; that they still cared. Lights were on in the house next door, and a young couple walked hand in hand, clearly in love.

Had I been willing to pay attention, I would have been admitting that he had left me forever; that Shika was gone forever and he was never coming back for me. But those were lies. Everybody just wanted to hurt me. There was no other explanation; because there was no way that he could be gone.

I felt his hand brush away the tears staining my cheeks.

I heard his voice echoing through the empty hall.

I smelt his unique musky scent; no scent in the world could match it.

I could see his deep, intelligent eyes staring deep into my own.

But greatest of all, was I could taste his lips on mine.

I wished I could wake up from this nightmare. If everything else wasn't a lie, then his departure must be real, and the reality caused a never-ending, stabbing pain to rip through my already shredded heart.

"I would give anything for you to walk around that door right now…"

My leaden feet dragged themselves to the doorway. My arm rose uselessly, and then fell limply back to my side. His image flashed before my eyes of the first time I stood here.

He had smiled his perfectly dazzling smile, then waved me in as if my presence meant nothing even though the look in his eyes screamed that he wanted me to stay. His fading image gave me enough courage to slide through the door; gently pushing it shut behind me. The front staircase was breath taking, but the only thing that took my breath away were the eyes staring right at me, as if they had been waiting just for me. I choked back a sob, realizing that it was only a picture.

The memory of him haunted every inch of this place. I slid down the door, unable to move any further into the repressing home.

I didn't move. I didn't think. I didn't feel.

I might as well have been dead…then I would be with him.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke the next morning surrounded by a sea of my closest friends. Each face held a different version of the same emotion.

I looked first to uncharacteristically smiling Neji. Well it was more of a smirk but his eyes seemed to be reassured, or perhaps it was because Tenten was wrapped around his arm.

Her face was lit up as well; not a trace of pain, my pain, anywhere.

Next to her stood their third teammate, Lee. He was crying, but with a huge cheesy smile on his face. When he saw me looking he winked and pointed his thumb up. I quickly looked away.

Hinata stood blushing a bright pink when I turned to her. She gave a small reassuring smile before turning to Kiba to see what she should do.

Kiba had a wolfish grin on his face, and elbowed Shino whose expression I could not see under the coat and glasses he wore.

Choji had his chips as usual but he had yet to open the bag. He looked free of any burden and smiled cheerfully, reminding me of when we were still in the academy and I would see him laughing with Shikamaru.

Naruto was standing the closest to me. He had his hand behind his head and looked almost nervous, probably because of my long silence.

Directly in front of me, sitting on the ground, was my best friend Sakura. She had her hands clasped in front of her and a shy but bright smile on her face.

I allowed a tear to streak down my face. I could not understand how everybody could seem so happy when Shika, my childhood friend, teammate, and love, was gone from this world forever.

Then I heard his voice. "Troublesome woman…" My entire body tensed as I slowly turned my head behind me, just noticing the body holding me up. There he was: his trademark spiky hair in a ponytail on top of his head, his lazy expression, his clever dark eyes, his sharp facial features. I slowly lifted my hand to his face and placed it on his cheek ever so lightly.

The moment I knew that this was real, I pounced. I had only kissed Shika once before. Right before he even left on the stupid mission that made me think he was dead. This kiss was nowhere near the same as the soft, gentle meeting of lips. I passionately shoved my lips to his, shocking him enough to knock him to the floor underneath me. I ran my hands up his chest as he began to reciprocate. I begged for entrance to his mouth, softly nibbling on his lower lip. But the lazy ninja himself shocked me by fighting back. We battled until neither of us could breathe.

And then we made the mistake of looking up.

Hinata was passed out on the floor. Shino was blushing. Naruto, Kiba, and Lee had a nosebleed. Sakura was laughing. Neji and Tenten had begun their own little make out session in the corner of the room. And Choji's eyes were saucers as he looked back and forth between us with an embarrassed blush on his face.

"Wow, Ino! I should die more often…" I playfully hit Shikamaru on the arm, fully aware that my face was beet red.

Naruto meekly raised his hand. "So…um should we go get some ramen or do you two wanna finish up here first?" With that everybody broke out into a fit of giggles.

I just wrapped my arms around Shika's neck and knew in that moment that I was never going to let go.


End file.
